In Conversation: Kerry McCoy of Deafheaven
On the tenth anniversary of Sunbather, the guitarist is grateful to re-experience their classic album in the present tense—free from the afflictions that went into making it.
For as long as I’ve been making records, I’ve carried with me the uncomfortable feeling of making something “permanent.” It’s not just the songs—although that, too, plays a role—but the inspirations, the feelings, the conditions, and the physical places that also find themselves folded into the permanent shape of an “album.” Nothing puts that into clearer focus than a milestone anniversary.
I approached Deafheaven founder/guitarist Kerry McCoy with the idea of exploring these “silent partners” with me as a way to mark the tenth anniversary of their breakthrough album, Sunbather, and in spite of those sometimes difficult memories, he showed no hesitation in his willingness to walk back into those places with me—even when the light was less than flattering. It’…